“There were times I thought of ending it all”- Actor, Chinedu Ikedieze reveals his struggle with stigma growing up as a person with dwarfism

Nollywood actor Chinedu Ikedieze, famously known as “Aki,” has shared how he almost took his own life after being diagnosed with stunted growth.

He explained that his mother took him to the hospital, where doctors told him he had a condition called “stunted growth” or “growth retardant.” Chinedu recalled how he would often cry alone in his room because people would make fun of him. The situation became so overwhelming that he started having thoughts of ending his life.

In his words : “I remember my mom taking me to the hospital when I was around nine years old. I think I was sick. The doctor told her, ‘Madam, stop worrying yourself. He has no problem. Just make sure he reads his books, goes to school, and is there for him.’
<span;>“That hit me hard. I was born and brought up in the village, so hearing that kind of English from a doctor — it stuck with me. I remember the doctor saying, ‘Madam, what he has is stunted growth.’ Then he wrote something on a report, and I saw another word: growth retardation. “
<span;>”I didn’t even know how to pronounce it. That was when I started hearing those words over and over again. My mom always told me, ‘You are small; you cannot start carrying cement or doing furniture work. The best thing for you is to go and study.’
<span;>“So I knew that the only weapon I had to conquer the world was education. But it was painful. People taunted me. I cried several times. They called me names. It got so bad that, at times, I thought of ending it all.”

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